Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Aadi Shankaracharya Tasmath Jagratha Jagartha
Aadi Shankaracharya Tasmath Jagratha Jagartha
Aadi Shankaracharya Tasmath Jagratha Jagartha
एक वक्ष
ृ समारूढा नानाजाति विहङ्गमाः।
प्रभते क्रमशो यान्ति तत्र का परिदे वना॥
... ऋणानब
ु न्धरूपेण पशप
ु त्निसत
ु ादयः।
ऋणक्षये क्षयँ यान्ति तत्र का परिदे वना॥
एक वक्ष
ृ समारूढा नानाजाति विहङ्गमाः।
प्रभते क्रमशो यान्ति तत्र का परिदे वना॥
Quote
माता नास्ति पिता नास्ति नास्ति बन्धःु सहोदरः।
अर्थँ नास्ति गह
ृ ँ नास्ति तस्मात ् जाग्रत जाग्रत॥
There is no mother, no father, no relationships nor any siblings.
No money or house. Therefore be alert, Wake up!
The whole idea in presenting such statements has to be very clearly
appreciated. The idea is not to encourage us to condemn all our
relationships. The idea is not to leave parents etc. The idea is to be
understood in proper context. For this we need to explore these
relationships with care. We will see its not exactly the relationship that
is a problem. Never is a relationship a bondage. But we make all
relationships into bondage. We will explore this very carefully, but what
exactly is a relationship ?
All our relations are in the mind and they are all with reference to the
body. When a child is born, the body is there, but no relations are there
for the child. I may feel this child is my son or daughter, but the child
does not feel any relationship. As the child grows, he is fed with
memories and thoughts and out of those memories and thoughts
certain relationships are formed. So now the child has a father , a
mother, a relative, a friend, a brother or a sister etc. As the child grows
up he picks up new relationships which are nothing but mental roles he
picks up. The role is simply a collection of thoughts, ideas, memories
etc which are all based on the body.
Lets take a simple example to see how relationships are formed. What
happens is a teenager sees a girl and the first perception he has is a
simple perception of the girl, nameless simple perception. Then the next
thought, "she is beautiful", "I would like to befriend her" ... and very
soon he is in love with her!! That relationship of a lover is simply a
combination of his thoughts, ideas, memories etc.
And then the girl leaves him. The thoughts of the girl are there in his
mind, but the girl is not there to relate to. And he is suddenly in intense
suffering. When the thoughts of the relationship is there, but they
cannot be expressed as the body itself is not available, the person is
missed. This is exactly how we miss someone.
The thoughts of the related person along with the person's physical
presence are both required to correspond. The sweet moments in any
relationship are remembered and when the person cannot related there
is intense disappointment and sorrow.
so its not the object itself ... but the mental idea of my possessing it
that is giving me joy. which means that happiness comes from within!!
never from that object. coz the object , if it has to give me pleasure... it
has to become a part of my mind and i should mentally possess it!! that
means pleasure is coming from within.
now, having understood this much, when the object can never make me
happy ... why long for them ? Habitually we still continue to depend
upon these. so the verse aims to shake of such a dependency... when
those dependencies are shaken off one sees oneself as one is and so will
be able to perceive that one is Ananda Svarupa. Thus remaining as
oneSelf, one is Freed of all dependencies. Having freed oneself of
dependencies one may continue to relate to everyone as one choses.
The basis for all relationships is this body. I relate through this body. I
am the body idea is a base idea from which all these dependencies
originate. The verse says mata nasti ... there is no relationship called
mother. the idea is to see myself as independent of all relationships. the
idea is to shake off the dependencies on the relationships.
The verse continues to say artham nasti. money is not there. the idea is
to shake myself of the dependence on money.
The best way to "See" them is to see oneself as without body. Now no
relations hold, no money or no house... thus waking up, one sees
oneself as one IS and remain Thus.
Quote
जन्म दःु खँ जरा दःु खँ जाया दःु खँ पुनः पुनः।
सँसारसागरँ दःु खँ तस्मात ् जाग्रत जाग्रत॥
A student goes to a guru and says "Sir, This worldliness is not leaving
me. Can you please help me get rid of it?"
The teacher says "Ok, come with me for a walk" and so they were going
for a walk and then the guru simply starts walking faster and soon
moves away from his sight. and then the student hears a shout "help!
Help!" ... upon tracing the source he finds that the teacher is holding
onto the tree and shouting "help! help! this tree is not leaving me"
"how can you say that the tree is not leaving you sir, its you who are
holding onto it", the student said.
The guru simply smiled and said "Thats exactly the point with your
worldliness. Tell me which part of the world is holding onto you ?"
Thats exactly how we create problems where there are none. And we do
it almost unconsciously. When its said that samsara, this worldliness is
a problem ... the idea is not that the world holds our neck and tortures
us. As even, if i am a diabetic... no sweet would force me to gulp it up! I,
due to my excess attachments, feed myself with sweets and then I say
"The sweet is bad". the sweet is bad, as i am not alert and I have an
unconscious tendency to get attracted towards them.
The same thing with our worldliness as well. Shankara says in Bhaja
govindam : Yogaratho va bhogaratova sanga ratho va sanga vihina.
yasyah brahmani ramate cittam, nandati nandati nandati eva"
So one needs to bring this to mind again and again and see how we are
creating troubles in our lives through each of these means. We do not
shun he means, but we just see how we are creating problems in our
own lives by excess attachments and placing conditions upon
ourselves. How we are creating troubles for ourselves using our own
expecations and desires. We need to see that clearly within. Thats when
we will naturally leave that and remain with ourselves.
Quote
कामक्ष्च क्रोधक्ष्च लोभक्ष्च दे हे तिष्ठन्ति तस्कराः।
ज्ञनरत्नापहाराय तस्मात ् जाग्रत जाग्रत॥
Kama (desires), Krodha (Anger), Lobha (Greed) are like theifs in this
body who steal the jewel called "Jnana" [Self Knowledge]. Therefore be
alert! Be Awake!
Friends, lets explore Kama, Desires first. We will clearly see how we
ourselves create the whole web and get stuck in it. Lets see.
And we constantly feed our mind with this desire. How were these
desires developed in the first place? By constantly thinking of an object
we develop desire for them. In Bhagavad Gita its said "By meditating on
objects, we develop association with them and from that association we
develop desires, from desires (when they are unfulfilled) we grow anger
and when in anger we forget all the teachings etc and thereby our
Buddhi and all understanding goes waste. Thus we fall"
we should develop the habit of not giving too much mental place for any
object. Even when seeing things ,we should not see the objects with too
much attention ... we need to develop this attitude of looking at the
world like a passing cloud. This overall attitude eases the conflicts in
mind.
Lets also take a look at how we create these conflicts within. First we
meditate on the objects of the world and develop lot of associations .
And now suppose a religious person comes to us and says "you should
not have desires" and perchance we agree with him ... then there is an
inner conflict. We have fed the mind for a long long time that objects
make us happy. The mind is fed with various thoughts about the
objects as well. And some memories too! so now suddenly when we feed
the mind "Leave everything there is no joy in objects" ... there are two
conflicting ideas in mind. And what happens ? Some times one of these
wins and some other times the other idea wins. And if we observe how
we have fed the mind with the objects... suppose we pick a particular
object ... say pleasure in sexual activity. We have lot of memories of
sexual activity = happiness. We have these memories in the brain and
they act as testimonials . its in-wired in our memory.
Now suddenly this new suggestion "You are Happiness, Sex is not going
to make you better" ... its too meek to counter the other idea. So we
have to put in force to make this work. This is inner conflict and
pressure. When the conflict is entertained in the mind ... pressure
starts to build up and one is really in tough situations.
One has to handle all this intelligently now. One cannot simply go on a
headon fight. Conflict is unavoidable. The previous wrong vasanas or
wrong notions have to be countered. But intelligently. One needs to
have a proper strategy. The basic strategy is as follows:
This way, slowly the inner vasanas are reduced and we will be able to
really own up the desirelessness.
Quote
And in all these tensions and worries, as we are running after different
destinations in life, suddenly we recognize that the life itself has passed
away!!
And suddenly we see that we are very relaxed, blissful, lite etc!
now no matter what activities we involve in ... its absolutely fine.
We can even draw a few artificial destinations ... knowing pretty well
that those destinations are just fancy destinations created for the
purpose of a game and just move about in life. Just as , when we play a
game of cricket, we create a boundary. the boundary is only to make it
a game. We can also have losely held destinations, knowing fully well
that We are the source of all Bliss and there is no where to go , nothing
to do. Then, those lose destinations of life become simple lines of the
boundary in a cricket or a football match. They do not bind us
anymore.
All possessions are like what are seen in a dream, youthfulness is only
for a short time , like a flower's lifetime. Life passes away like a
lightening therefore be alert!
When we dream, we might possess a lot of valuable objects, but the
moment we wake up all the objects are gone. In a dream if we say "This
object should not go", that very idea will create lot of anguish. The
dream objects cannot be held onto. This world that we experience is
just a dream. Nothing more.
There is absolutely no difference between a dream and this world that
we experience. Things come and they go. Any attempt to "Stop the Flow"
is really stupid. Nothing can stop it.
What are possessions ? I posses a gold coin, say, does the coin feel that
its mine ? I feel its mine. the coin does not have any such feelings. So
when a thief comes and takes it away, i cry that "my" gold coin is
leaving me! But the coin never says "See i am his coin, u cannot take
me".
When we see this with respect to a gold coin, we feel its very trivial, but
when we see our body in the same light ... we see ... the body ages. And
the body does not have any complaints abt it!! We complain about the
body's aging. The body simply flows. I may be worried that the body is
aging, as i have projected an idea that this body is mine! But the body
does not feel so.
If we observe carefully ... the whole world is simply flowing away. The
stream of life does not stop. Its flowing constantly. Suppose we are
sitting in a train, we clearly see the motion. we clearly see that
everything is moving away. No scenary lasts long. The journey of life is
no different. All this is passing away.
when we see this, and release our mind of all the attachments for the
objects of the world... we remain free!! We are naturally Alert, coz we
have no burdens in mind. We are here, now! Thats what is Jagrata
jagrata.
Quote
क्षणँ वित्तँ क्षणँ चित्तँ क्षणँ जीवितमावयोः।
यमस्य करूणा नास्ति तस्मात ् जाग्रत जाग्रत॥
As long as their karma lasts so long we see the animal here, the
moment the karma is over, the animal is gone. what is there to brood
over this ?
Thats how scientific inquiry goes. Karma model is the set of rules that
govern the our actions and the results. Its a wonderful system. When
its clearly understood, it resolves lot of mental conflicts by itself. coz
there is clarity of vision it brings about . Let us see...
Suppose i water a plant. The plant gives fruit only when season is ripe.
just coz i acted now, i need not get a result immediately.
so when i act, there is a result. but the result may come now or may not
come now. if it does not come now, it means it waiting in the backlog for
appropriate time!!
so the coming of the body and its passing away, all the results that we
accure in between ... all of them are a result of prarabdha karma and
the moment the karma is completed, the body is taken away ...
The idea in presenting the karmic model is not to create a theory out of
it.
These verses are to be meditated upon. Meditation, in this context,
means to remain with their meaning.
When we do that, our excess attachment towards the objects of the
world eventually reduces.
We need to bring this again and again to our mind and see things in
that light.
These verses are true as they are. They are simple and very correct.
What one needs to do is just remain with the meaning and see things
as they are.
Quote
ऋणानुबन्धरूपेण पशुपत्निसुतादयः।
ऋणक्षये क्षयँ यान्ति तत्र का परिदे वना॥
So when this viveka, this understanding, is taken into the mind and we
start looking at life as a flow we clearly see how this togetherness is
only temporary; we develop vairagya. If we still remain attached and
want a certain relationship to last longer than it is ... it means the
understanding has not sinked in. There is no choice in this. in the flow
of time we have absolutely no choice. we cannot chose to stop our travel
in time. This needs to be clearly seen , do not really have any sort of
choice over this and therefore any struggle against the flow of time is
futile.
These are really verses for meditation. The leaves of a tree drop and so
also it is the case with this body, it shall also drop off. One needs to
start looking at life thus. The aim is to completely accept that things
shall all pass away long before the things actually pass away. When we
develop that attitude we tend to look at life as a constant flow.
Yesterday is a leaf that has already fallen away. Today is a fresh leaf
and by tomorrow this shall pass away. This is how life is configured.
This is how things are all going on.
If we brood over it , its only due to non-acceptance. We do not accept,
coz our "identity" seems to depend on it. Since i do not know my true
nature, I associate my identity with the objective world. The objective
world seems to define me. Suppose I ask myself, who am i ? and the
answer is a name, a degree, sex, religious beliefs etc --- what does it
mean ? Am i the name or do i have a name? am i the degree or do i
have a degree ? am i the body or do i have a body ?
Thats how we define our identity with objects of the world. The objects
dont make me. I AM, and everything else follows. But somehow i tend to
identify with the objects and then the objects seem to define me... and
as the objects die, we seem to worry and brood over it. To see the
objects of the world as dying is the first step in losening this excess
dependence on the objects of the world. We need to meditate on these
verses and actually start seeing the world in this light. We need to see
how leaves of this world are falling every moment. This is an attitude
change. We need to develop this attitude and when we look at the world
as a flow, we clearly see how beneath this flow is a changeless reality...
the True ME, independent of all the changing entities. Thats when we
no more try to hold onto anything - neither try to enforce something,
nor try to stop something from happening: just pure witness. We now
do not "be witness", we just "Are Witness", there is no choice in "being
it" or "not being it". We are that witness and how else can we be that
"Just Be" :)
Quote
एक वक्ष
ृ समारूढा नानाजाति विहङ्गमाः।
प्रभते क्रमशो यान्ति तत्र का परिदे वना॥
We are all like sojourners. We have our own paths and for a short
period we come together in this journey and when the sojourn is over,
the paths separate and we move away. The moment we forget that we
are sojourners, we get attached to the people and events in life. Neither
the people nor the events are going to last for ever, infact even as we see
them they are moving apart constantly. And we suffer as we do not
want it to change. Whenever we suffer, we can ask ourselves this
interesting question: "What is it that we do not want to happen". We
suffer means there is something happening an we do not wish that it
happens. We are colliding with the events/ happenings. Thats when
there is suffering. Whenever we find ourselves suffering, this is an
interesting question we can put to ourselves " What is it that i am
colliding with ?" :) "what is it that i do not want to happen ?" and what
ever that is, we can stop going against it. Thus when one stops colliding
with anything that happens, one stands liberated. The tendency to
collide with what is happening is there because we do not understand
that there is no point in collision. Something is moving away, something
else is coming towards, in both the cases there is no need to conflict.
This attitude is called acceptance and is very essential for a sadhaka.
Quote
Who is really this "I" which is really troubled or happy about these
movements of the corpses ? If we see, the body does not know.
Awareness does not care. Inbetween the body and the Awareness there
are a few thoughts, but they come and they go that very moment !!
However what happens is , a series of fast moving thoughts create the
illusion t hat there is a real entity called "I" which is happy or unhappy
with the events. There is really no "I" -- just the Awareness which is the
"I" of all relative "I's". God alone is. None else. Hence no one to brood
over all this! Just Be!